How far back can you trace your Korean family? A modern resident registration only shows your parents. The key document for ancestry is the jejeok deungbon β a copy of the old family register.
A Korean resident registration (jumin deungbon, from 1962) lists only the household you currently live in β it is not for ancestry.
The jejeok deungbon is a copy of the old household register (hoju system), closed when that system was abolished in 2008. Because it is organized around a household head, you can trace upward document by document.
Korea's modern registers began around 1909β1923. The oldest obtainable registers date to roughly 1900β1920, and the household heads listed there were often born in the mid-to-late 1800s.
So by chaining registers (father β grandfather β great-grandfather) you can typically reach your great-great-grandparents (4β5 generations), i.e. ancestors born in the 1800s.
Living overseas? Korean consulates and family in Korea can often help obtain these records.
Government records reach about 5 generations. Beyond that, the clan jokbo (genealogy book) β sometimes back to the founding ancestor β takes over. Verify recent generations with registers, then extend with the jokbo.
Enter the ancestors you confirm into JokboWorld and they arrange into a generational tree automatically β including bon-gwan, branch, and even adoption ties. Export the finished tree as a PDF. Free to start.
Usually your great-great-grandparents (4β5 generations) β ancestors born in the 1800s β because the oldest registers already list people born in the late Joseon era.
The person themselves, their direct lineal relatives (parents, grandparents, children), and their spouse.